Ok running it back since I got the late invite...
This is INCREDIBLE. Peak 80s Synth Pop. Infectious grooves, beautiful soundscapes, and such a captivating vocalist. Easy 5/5 for me.
This is one of my favorite albums of all time, although it had been quite sometime since I listened all the way through.
It's still the same flawless, and incredibly moving collection of Indie America style tracks, strung together with strange soundscapes and tweedy's beautifully absurd lyricism.
Flawless, 5/5
FAVORITES: I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, Jesus, Etc. , Ashes On American Flags, Heavy Metal Drummer, Reservations.
LEAST FAVORITES: N/A
Some nice classic rock and roll vibes but generally as a project this album is repetitive and boring. There's like 2 songs repeating ad nauseum.
1/5
Calmed me down during a stressful day at work
4/5
Not my thing
This album has always intrigued me, although it's been a while since I listened.
Its schizoid in the sense of having several genres bumping against one another, which can be fun, but the blending between them leaves sometime to be desired. It's quite funny the suddenness of the realization that, no this isn't a contemporary take on classic psych rock with soul and gospel influence that you find so much of in the countercultural era (think funkadelic a clear influence on the opening track) but that this is in fact more of a triphop or even trance esq project at it's core. Unfortunately even with all of the sonic exploration, about half of the tracks are honestly just mid, which is a shame because there's at least two that are bonidied 5/5s for me. I guess my opinion hasn't changed much over the years in this one, it's interesting and worth a listen but I'll probably find myself returning mostly to just a few select cuts.
Rating: 3/5
FAVS: Movin On Up, Come Together, Loaded
Absolutely flawless
Rating: 5/5
Special shout out to Happy Feelin for being one of the most euphoric tracks ever recorded
Very lovely tunes, incredible voice.
4/10
Favorite: Pusher Man
Least Favorite: N/A
Ok... So that really wasn't that great.
There are very good moments sprinkled about this LP, but generally I was left underwhelmed. The vibes were all over the place, most of the good tunes barely exceed a minute in length and aren't given much chance to evolve but the ones that are longer overstay their welcome with repetitiveness. Sheer Heart Attack is missing that coherence that I know Queen for. Maybe I'm just spoiled by albums like A Night at the Opera, but the mastering on this one seemed really lacking in fidelity, and the stereophonic tricks where generally just annoying.
All that being said, it's still Queen. The performances are top notch. Especially the opening track, which is killer.
2/5
Favorites: Brighton Rock, Misfire
Least Favorite: Bring Back that Leroy Brown
They broke all the rules and it still goes absolutely ballistic
4/5
